flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Higher education construction costs for 2023

Higher Education

Higher education construction costs for 2023

Fresh data from Gordian breaks down the average cost per square foot for a two-story college classroom building across 10 U.S. cities.


By Gordian  | April 13, 2023
Higher education construction costs for 2023
Photo: Pixabay

Colleges and universities manage more than 6 billion square feet of campus space in 210,000 buildings nationwide, with a replacement value of $2 trillion and a backlog of urgent capital renewal needs exceeding $112 billion.

The state of campus facilities will define the financial future of higher ed institutions more than any other single factor. Data collected from a thorough assessment of campus conditions should be used to prioritize building portfolio needs and establish a strategic framework for linking today’s investment realities with future campus aspirations.

Readying campus facilities for future students can take the form of renovations, updates or wholesale replacement, with the driver of that decision based in the alignment of available resources with institutional programmatic priorities. 

As North America’s leading construction cost database, Gordian’s RSMeans Data has been synonymous with reliability since the 1940s, so you can trust it when budgeting for projects that will transform your campus for students, alumni, professors and staff.

With localized square-foot costs on over 100 building models, Gordian’s RSMeans Data allows architects, engineers and other preconstruction professionals to quickly and accurately create conceptual estimates for future builds. This table shows the most recent costs per square foot for two-story college classrooms in select cities, with sustainable, “green” building considerations. 

Visit rsmeans.com/bdandc for more information about Gordian’s RSMeans Data.

Cost per Square Foot for Two-Story College Classrooms with Green Building Considerations

City

2020

2021

2022

2023

National Average

$220.32

$221.38

$229.47

$243.54

Athens, GA

$178.55

$175.75

$182.06

$188.76

Austin, TX

$176.56

$179.01

$183.94

$196.80

Tuscaloosa, AL

$186.09

$186.01

$194.43

$207.45

Tempe, AR

$188.93

$188.88

$194.50

$207.94

Charlottesville, VA

$185.32

$190.71

$196.39

$201.75

Boulder, CO

$195.82

$193.08

$201.54

$210.98

Bloomington, IN

$199.80

$199.26

$206.05

$216.72

Ann Arbor, MI

$216.59

$219.54

$224.73

$235.17

Madison, WI

$216.75

$224.27

$227.99

$242.15

Berkeley, CA

$280.11

$283.40

$287.92

$303.11

Please note: Square foot models are used for planning and budgeting and are not meant for detailed estimates.

 

Related Stories

Laboratories | Jul 24, 2020

Customized labs give universities a recruiting edge

CO Architects is among a handful of firms that caters to this trend.

Coronavirus | Jun 18, 2020

Brown University tops off first housing building in three decades

The facility, scheduled for completion next April, will combine a residence hall with student health services.

Coronavirus | Mar 30, 2020

Learning from covid-19: Campuses are poised to help students be happier

Overcoming isolation isn’t just about the technological face to face, it is about finding meaningful connection and “togetherness”.

Higher Education | Mar 10, 2020

SmithGroup helps Higher Ed clients analyze their space

Its service provides schools with a growth strategy, based on current and future needs.  

Education Facilities | Mar 3, 2020

Carisima Koenig, AIA, joins Perkins Eastman as Associate Higher Education Practice Leader

 Perkins Eastman as Associate Higher Education Practice Leader

Giants 400 | Aug 13, 2019

2019 Science + Technology Giants Report: Operational flexibility is a must for S+T buildings

The science and technology (S+T) sector is arguably the industry’s most complex because it caters to a diverse clientele with specific priorities and imperatives, according to Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.

Higher Education | Jul 20, 2019

Turner-led team wraps women’s residence reno at Alabama A&M

This is the latest of numerous projects in Huntsville that the GC has engaged over the past 65 years.

University Buildings | Jul 10, 2019

Campus costs: Square foot construction prices for student unions

Using RSMeans data from Gordian, here are the most recent costs per square foot of college student unions in 10 college cities across the U.S. 

Higher Education | Mar 18, 2019

University of Arizona Student Success District begins construction

The project will renovate three buildings and build another from the ground up.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Mass Timber

Mass timber a big part of Western Washington University’s net-zero ambitions

Western Washington University, in Bellingham, Wash., 90 miles from Seattle, is in the process of expanding its ABET-accredited programs for electrical engineering, computer engineering and science, and energy science. As part of that process, the university is building Kaiser Borsari Hall, the 54,000-sf new home for those academic disciplines that will include teaching labs, research labs, classrooms, collaborative spaces, and administrative offices.



halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021